LIHI Certificate #28 - Champlain Spinners Hydroelectric Project, Whitehall, New York
November 1, 2007
On November 1, 2007, the LIHI Governing Board certified the Champlain Spinners Hydropower Project. The Champlain Spinners Hydropower Project meets LIHI's eight environmentally rigorous criteria addressing river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed health, endangered species protection, cultural resources, recreation use and access, and whether or not the dam itself has been recommended for removal.
The Champlain Spinners Hydropower Project successfully completed LIHI's application process, which includes a public comment period, review by an independent technical consultant, consultations with state and federal natural resource agencies, and evaluation by the LIHI Governing Board, including leaders in the river conservation and renewable energy fields.
Based on the recommendations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC), LIHI Staff, and the owners commitment to install overlays to the trash racks, the LIHI Board certified the Champlain Spinners Hydro Project with the following condition: On or before March 31, 2008, the Applicant will install overlays to the trash racks to reduce spacing from 2"+ to 1". The March date comes from the USFWS letter that says that overlays can be used seasonally from March 31 to December 1. If the overlays are not in place by March 31, 2008, the LIHI Certificate will be subject to suspension or revocation.
The Board's vote to certify the Champlain Spinners Hydropower Project was unanimous.
BACKGROUND
On August 31, 2007, Champlain Spinners Power Company, Inc. (CSPC) filed an application for LIHI Certification for their Champlain Spinners Hydroelectric Project. The project is a small (2.2MW) run-of-river hydro project located immediately north of the Champlain Branch of the New York Barge Canal, northeast of Lock C-12, at the southern end of Lake Champlain, in the village of Whitehall, Washington County, New York.
The Champlain Spinners Hydroelectric Project (FERC # 5296) is located at the northeastern edge of the downtown commercial district of Whitehall. The hydro project consists of a hydroelectric station situated within a rehabilitated concrete, stone, and brick powerhouse with a metal superstructure and steel supported roof which is situated adjacent to an existing state-owned moveable dam. The state-owned dam maintains the required pool elevation for the northern most reach of the Champlain Canal. An additional siphon dam discharging at right angles to the moveable dam forms the headrace to the powerhouse. The powerhouse is a two turbine facility, in continuous operation, in its present configuration, since 1992.
This project was a reconstruction of an old mill site to create a small hydropower project. Although the construction did not occur until the early 1990s, the FERC exemption was issued in 1982.
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HISTORIC PHOTOS
